[SoggyCornFlakes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gr1zzLy (original)

Awww.. c'mon ladies.. why the hostility? lesbe frends...

Yes, let's keep it friendly please and avoid the personal comments which I've removed, thanks

[Todd!]

No worries.

[eb/w mini]

Why cannt we be friends? why cannt we be friends? Ah what a great song.
As the for advert i only saw the last half of it and it looked kinda wack. Maybe apon a full veiwing it will make more sense.
I stand by that j west add thou. Cracks me up every time. Gold.

[mikemini32]

At the risk of upsetting people, I saw Kiteman part 2 today and really loved it! I actually laughed out loud. Maybe its the architect in me liking new and different things but it really hooked me.

But honestly, it was fun and quirky - just like a MINI. Having a shot of just a car is what all the other companies would do...I kinda like that MINI dares to be different. (I can't believe I'm defending an ad! What has my life come to??)

"He searched the photos like a writer searching for a metaphor"

[Temptation]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikemini32 (original)

At the risk of upsetting people, I saw Kiteman part 2 today and really loved it! I actually laughed out loud. Maybe its the architect in me liking new and different things but it really hooked me.

But honestly, it was fun and quirky - just like a MINI. Having a shot of just a car is what all the other companies would do...I kinda like that MINI dares to be different. (I can't believe I'm defending an ad! What has my life come to??)

"He searched the photos like a writer searching for a metaphor"

yeah the ad is different but i feel they could had done a way better job of it compared to other mini ads from around the world (you gotta love youtube). many companies do the comic like ad which i love as its different, catches my attention and keeps it but this one its terrible. i know i sound like a ***** picking on an ad but i feel it doesn't capture the mini notion and honestly feel this ad will not produce much sales for the mini, which it needs as it can't compete with other cars. this is a niche market which is nice, kinda exclusive but so expensive and to get any parts i.e. to modify it, u have to look overseas which is a negative point for the mini and its drivers.

[Shaun]

Quote: Originally Posted by Michael Strachan (original)

There's a sewer ad where two guys are driving about in an MCS in the underground tunnels, thinking they're all alone, they come to a red traffic light down there and about 20 other MINI's go racing past across the intersection. Clearly that incites people to drive irresponsibly though! !

That was shown on Saturday morning during Soccer AM I sky plus it and watch it at leisure so have only just discovered it.

[poki]

Seriously, who can say they decided to buy their MINI based on a quirky TV advert?

Advertising might be powerful but it is not THAT powerful.

MINIs pretty much sell themselves. Given their price and the market they are competing in, they have to.

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by poki (original)

Seriously, who can say they decided to buy their MINI based on a quirky TV advert?

Advertising might be powerful but it is not THAT powerful.

MINIs pretty much sell themselves. Given their price and the market they are competing in, they have to.

Spot on observation poki! We were going to buy a MINI long before we even saw an ad for one

I have seen the entire "Genie" ad now, and I like it Haven't seen 'Adventures of Kiteman' at all, but then again, I don't buy the paper, but read my news online.

[Mr G]

can someone please post the contents of this kiteman thing, so those of us who didn't see it can have a look?

["Megan"]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr G (original)

can someone please post the contents of this kiteman thing, so those of us who didn't see it can have a look?

Yeah - what he said Sounds twisted enough that I may just appreciate it - even though some others haven't.

[Temptation]

Quote: Originally Posted by poki (original)

Seriously, who can say they decided to buy their MINI based on a quirky TV advert?

Advertising might be powerful but it is not THAT powerful.

MINIs pretty much sell themselves. Given their price and the market they are competing in, they have to.

marketing is powerful. everybody underestimates the influence marketing has and just think its a cost to the company and don't realise its an asset. marketing helps a business penetrate the market which at the moment mini hasn't. it helps build brand image, brand positioning etc.

yes in many cases ads have persuaded people to purchase - even high purchase items like cars. for example a person in the market for a new car will look at all different types of cars - ones that will meet their needs. then they see a fantastic advertisement, which sticks in their minds and they begin to think about that company, that certain model. they are expose to the ad a few more times and it helps them make their mind up and they purchase the car. so therefore the ad has had a great effect on them and in this example (which is quite common) has persuaded them to purchase it. like my father he has always driven station wagons until he saw an advert for a 4wd and he had to go and buy that car because it appealed to him and he didn't realise that this car fit his needs.

with the mini, it has a lot of appeal and some would say it doesn't need advertisement (i would agree with this statement in the uk as it has such a strong brand there) but it does in Aus.
ask any potential car buyers to name car makes and the mini would not be in the top 5 and very rare in the top 10. this illustrates that mini is not reaching the potential car buyer market.
this is an underlying problem for mini and it will not improve with this type of poor marketing.

[poki]

If it were a bigger manufacturer you might be right but given that MINI are selling as many cars as they can get into the country I don't think they have much to worry about.

There is already plenty of demand for their product without advertising or worrying about brand awareness, it is potential supply that is the problem. MINI are only capable of producing a certain number of units per year, of that Australia gets a small percentage. There is no point being able to sell more than this amount because they cannot supply the product without ridiculous wait times. This is why MINI can get away with charging an exorbitant amount for their product compared to similar vehicles in the rest of the market.

It needs to be slightly exclusive and appeal to a narrow audience. If it did appeal to a wider audience and every McAnybody wanted one it would be a similar effect to a one hit wonder and every McAnybody would be sick of it in 12 months - no matter how good the marketing was at this point MINI wouldn't be able to give their product away. The effect of that is much worse than a dud newspaper campaign.

Most people might not think of MINI when they think of a list of car manufacturers but they can recognise a MINI just by looking at it. On the other hand I cannot tell you whether I am looking at a Commodore or a Falcon because they look the same to me regardless of how well they are marketed.

[Michael]

Can't tell them apart?

It's easy, the big ugly one is the Falcon, the even bigger and even uglier one is the new Commo'

[GOGADGET]

Quote: Originally Posted by Temptation (original)

marketing is powerful. everybody underestimates the influence marketing has and just think its a cost to the company and don't realise its an asset. marketing helps a business penetrate the market which at the moment mini hasn't. it helps build brand image, brand positioning etc.

yes in many cases ads have persuaded people to purchase - even high purchase items like cars. for example a person in the market for a new car will look at all different types of cars - ones that will meet their needs. then they see a fantastic advertisement, which sticks in their minds and they begin to think about that company, that certain model. they are expose to the ad a few more times and it helps them make their mind up and they purchase the car. so therefore the ad has had a great effect on them and in this example (which is quite common) has persuaded them to purchase it. like my father he has always driven station wagons until he saw an advert for a 4wd and he had to go and buy that car because it appealed to him and he didn't realise that this car fit his needs.

with the mini, it has a lot of appeal and some would say it doesn't need advertisement (i would agree with this statement in the uk as it has such a strong brand there) but it does in Aus.
ask any potential car buyers to name car makes and the mini would not be in the top 5 and very rare in the top 10. this illustrates that mini is not reaching the potential car buyer market.
this is an underlying problem for mini and it will not improve with this type of poor marketing.

You are WRONG! I don't underestimate the influence that marketing has.

[Gr1zzLy]

Agree that marketing has a big part, but I tend to think Poki is right on this one, as the MINI sells itself really. My experience when buying my car, didn't have squat all to do with marketing. I just drove by the BMW dealer and thought "hey I'll test the MINI". Fell in love as soon as I stepped on the accelerator.

[Rampant Lion]

Advertising does not equal Marketing! These terms are not interchangable.

Advertising is a function of marketing falling within the catagory of Promotion (Based on the 4 P's principle), along with PR, Point of sale etc.... Brand image and positioning are not nessasarilly functions of advertising but are or at least should be consistant throughout the marketing mix and be comunicated through the product benefits, how it is sold and also price.